Scents and Sonics: A Memories of the Ocean Project
Dr. Kubanek and Benton Jaco recently visited Los Angeles to present as part of the Scents and Sonics project. This project was done collaboratively with Malte Lauder, a musician, and Yosh Han, a perfumer. We worked together to build an exhibit highlighting the cultural history and the habitats of Sapelo Island. Julia and Benton provided molecular structures and NMR spectra for scent molecules from habitats of Sapelo Island; Malte Lauder incorporated these NMR spectra into soundscapes, while Yosh Han created scents reminiscent of the habitats of Sapelo Island.
Celebrating Marisa Cepeda's Graduation
Poster presented by Maggie Straight at the Climate Sustainability Challenges & Opportunities workshop for undergraduates hosted by Spelman College in September and focusing on climate science, solutions, and justice. Well done, Maggie!
Welcome to the Lab!
We are pleased to welcome Ghada Abdelwahab, Dr. Adetola Henry Adewole, Gretchen Johnson, and Benton Jaco to the Lab! Ghada, a visiting scientist from the University of Cairo, and Henry, a postdoctoral researcher from Pretoria University, work jointly on an NIH-funded project aimed at discovering new bioactive natural products from marine organisms, using an integrated approach that includes microelectron diffraction, in collaboration with Caltech, Emory, and UCLA. Benton and Gretchen are new Ph.D. students. Gretchen recently graduated with her M.S. from the University of Delaware. Benton comes to us from Florida State University as the recipient of a prestigious NSF graduate research fellowship. The Kubanek lab has a history of promoting inclusivity and celebrating diversity; this group exemplifies that practice. Welcome to the Kubanek lab!
Congratulations, Dr. Marisa Cepeda, for publishing your recent paper in Oecologia and for graduating from Georgia Tech with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. You have contributed greatly to the Kubanek lab, and we are excited to see your accomplishment. Best of luck and keep in touch!
Graduation Season
Several members of the Kubanek lab have recently graduated from various graduate programs. Marisa Cepeda graduated from Georgia Tech with her Ph.D. in Chemistry with a thesis entitled, “An exploration of chemical cues as mediators of marine predator-prey interactions”. Marisa has truly been an asset to the lab and an excellent colleague. We are sad to see her go, but we are proud to see her move on to the next chapter of her life, as a postdoctoral researcher at BASF.
Additionally, our newest postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Henry Adewole, completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry last year at the University of Pretoria and had his official graduation ceremony in early September. Finally, Gretchen Johnson joined our lab immediately after completing her M.S. in Marine Biosciences at the University of Delaware.
These accomplishments are no small matter. A STEM graduate degree represents dedication, hard work, and the rigorous application of keen intellect. We are proud to work alongside scientists such as these three. Congratulations, Marisa, Henry, and Gretchen. Each of you has committed yourself to academic excellence and the continual pursuit of scientific discovery.
Gretchen Johnson at her M.S. thesis defense.
Marisa Cepeda defending her Ph.D. dissertation.
A Glimpse at the Front Line of COVID-19 Relief Efforts.
Our very own Samantha Mascuch on her efforts to help increase the supply of COVID-19 tests!